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DIAA board sets parameters for potential spring high school sports season

The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association board of directors set the parameters on Thursday for what a spring season of high school sports will be – if it happens.

The DIAA board’s monthly meeting came in the form of a two-hour teleconference. Board members voted 17-0 in favor of a motion that will set the timetable for spring sports.

Delaware Gov. John Carney has ordered all of the state’s schools to remain closed through May 15 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. If schools are allowed to reopen on Monday, May 18, DIAA would mandate a one-week period for teams to practice and get acclimated to competition, to enhance safety.

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Caravel players celebrate a semifinal win over Charter of Wilmington in the 2019 DIAA Softball Tournament. With schools still closed due to the coronavirus, the DIAA board of directors set the parameters on Thursday for what a spring high school sports season will be in schools reopen on May 18.(Photo: Jerry Habraken, The News Journal)

Then competition would start on May 25 and run through June 20, a period of four weeks.

Teams in each sport would be limited to a maximum number of games per week, following existing DIAA regulations.

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That maximum is three games per week in most sports, so most teams could play up to 12 games. But many dates during that four-week period would be unavailable due to conflicts with proms, graduations and other events and the possibility of not having enough officials available in every sport every day. So the consensus of board members was that most teams would reasonably be able to play about nine games.

The timetable would be strictly contingent upon schools reopening May 18, which is far from assured.

Pennsylvania ordered all of its schools to remain closed through the end of the academic year on Thursday. But at a press conference in the afternoon, Carney did not extend Delaware’s school closings.

“Right now, we’re not ready to make that decision,” Carney said. “We’d like our schools and our school districts to really lean in to making sure that their children are getting instruction between now and whenever the school year ends.”

There was very little discussion on the possibility of holding DIAA championships by the board of directors. DIAA executive director Donna Polk said she will conduct meetings with all of the organization’s spring sports committees next week, where the possibility of postseason play may be discussed.

“If we did have to look at anything, that would give us an opportunity to work out any details, secure venues and things of that nature,” Polk said.

Participation by each school would be voluntary, and it is unlikely that every DIAA member school would field spring sports teams if there is a season. Polk said a couple of private schools have indicated that they may not return to campus, even if schools are allowed to reopen.

Also, school calendars may fluctuate greatly, and some schools may decide to only play sports as long as they are in session – which may not be through June 20.

Much of the discussion centered around scheduling issues. Athletic directors from all of the state’s conferences have already met via teleconference and worked out six- to eight-game spring schedules strictly involving games against conference opponents.

That would leave schools not in a conference – such as Salesianum, St. Mark’s, St. Elizabeth and Caravel – with fewer options. But with a four-week season and the ability to schedule 9-12 games, Polk believes athletic directors could work together to fill out schedules for everybody.

“I think our job is to kind of put the parameters forward about the length of the season and how many games … and truly leaving it up to the schools and the ADs to build those schedules,” said board chairperson Dr. Bradley Layfield, principal at Sussex Central High School. “It does sound like many have already done that work.

“I don’t think, in my opinion, it’s the role of DIAA to start telling people who they have to play. We just can simply say here’s the start of the season, here’s the end of the season, and we already have our maximum game limitations. Then leave it on the ADs to do their work.”